1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus and, more particularly, to a disc drive apparatus for use in recording data on a flexible magnetic disc and/or reproducing data recorded on such a disc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical conventional disc drive apparatus consists of a drive mechanism, a read/write head, a track positioning mechanism, and a means for loading a disc on the drive mechanism and into engagement with the read/write head.
The loading means generally consists of a vertically moving frame, and a clamping member rotatably secured to the frame.
When such a frame is in an upper position, a flexible disc can be placed on a drive mechanism through an opening in a front portion of a housing. After the disc has been placed on the drive mechanism, the frame is moved to a lower position. As a result, the disc is ready to be driven by the drive mechanism, and a read/write head comes into contact with the magnetized surface of the disc.
When a flexible disc is placed on the drive mechanism by such a loading means as mentioned above, the disc itself or an envelope for the flexible disc sometimes collides with the upper surface of the read/write head and may thus damage the head.
After a flexible disc has been placed on the drive mechanism, the read/write head is constantly in sliding contact with the magnetic surface of the disc so that the read/write head and disc may be worn prematurely.
Prior art apparatus of this kind are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,106 entitled "Flexible Magnetic Disc Drive Apparatus" of Harold C. Medley; U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,107 entitled "Disc Positioning and Ejection Device in Disc Drive" of Philip S. Bryer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,581 entitled "Apparatus for Writing on and/or Reading Magnetic Discs" of Piercarlo Lesca; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,876 entitled "Record Ejecting and Positioning Assembly" of William M. Owens.